What If?
by Doctor Lexie Sloan
Summary: She left to to her residency where people needed her, where she knew she could help. Now she's back and Seattle Grace is not as she left it, and neither is Mark Sloan.


_**A/N: Here goes…**_

. . .

"Doctor Grey?" Mark asked, watching the brunette doctor turn to look at him.

"Doctor Sloan." she nodded in recognition.

"Wow, you look…" he started and she turned her head, raising her eyebrows.

Mark understood that that was his cue to shut up, so instead he sat next to her, crossing his arms.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, nodding towards her nearly untouched glass.

"No, no, I tried, but I've never been one for alcohol." she shrugged.

"Fair enough." Mark said, remembering Thatcher's particular penchant for the stuff. He signaled at the bartender to bring him water.

"Don't let my distaste stop you, Doctor Sloan."

"I'm on call, actually, but it's a slow day. I needed a break."

"You're never supposed to say that, from what I remember."

"Screw it." he sighed, "This place needs some excitement."

"Seattle Grace? Excitement?" she scoffed, "Please. That place is the definition of excitement."

"That's where you're wrong, Little Grey." she bit her lip at the old moniker, looking down to try and hide her blush. Their not-so innocent flirtation years ago hadn't been lost to her over the years. She couldn't deny the fact that in the extreme heat of Haiti her mind had wandered to him more than a few times. His voice pulled her from her thoughts, deep and gravely. "Ever since you left, the drama has gone downhill. It was nice at first, being normal. Then, it just got really boring."

"So… what? No crazy interns? No torrid and forbidden relationships? No 'Nurses against Mark Sloan'?!"

"I know. Shocking." he nodded and she chuckled. "By the way, I'm completely reformed."

"You don't strike me as the completely reformed type."

"Fine. You caught me. Not completely reformed, but tamed, nonetheless."

"Oh yeah? What's her name?"

"Sofia. She's five."

Lexie was perplexed, and Mark smirked, pulling a picture out of his wallet.

"She looks like you!" Lexie grinned.

The pride was apparent in his eyes.

"Most people say she looks like Callie, but-"

"Callie? I thought she was…" 

"A lesbian? She is." he chuckled. "I helped." Lexie nodded in understanding. Maybe he _was_ reformed. "So, Little Grey, what brings you to this particularly rainy corner of the universe? Last I heard, you were in… Jamaica?"

"It was Haiti." she laughed, crossing her legs and angling herself towards the other doctor. "And yeah, I was. And then I wasn't. They brought me in to renew my contract, and I just thought, only for a minute, what if I didn't stay? What if I went home?"

"So you did."

"I did." she replied. They sat in silence, neither comfortable nor awkward for a few minutes, and she swirled her rum and diet around the glass.

"So what was it like out there?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

"Hot, for one." she chuckled, shaking her head. The heat was one thing Lexie would never forget.

"What were you doing over there? Surgery, or…"

"I split my time between a hospital and a clinic. The hospital was really nice, really out of place, it was clean and cold and safe. The clinic on the other hand…" She changed the subject quickly. "I worked with the neurosurgeon at the hospital. He's one of the best. Nowhere near as good as Derek, but you know," she shrugged.

"Yeah, Derek talked about how he was pretty shocked about it when he went over there. He said they did a lot of pro bono work, that there were lots of people from around the world donating after Sandy."

"He was so helpful. I mean, there are just some things surgeons haven't ever seen, no matter how great they are. But he's the best, he's seen it all. He saved lives that we would've lost otherwise."

"What were you doing at the clinic?"

"It was mostly kids, really. Don't get me wrong, there was no shortage of adult trauma, but I focused on the kids. They're so sweet, you know? I mean, these poor kids have nothing, nothing at all, but they're still positive, they're still generous. There was this one little girl, Tenni, she gave me this bracelet," Lexie held out her arm, a straw beaded bracelet tied around her wrist, "because she never wanted me to forget her. This little girl, living in poverty, gave me one off the only things she owned, her prized possession, so I'd think of her. And I do. Every time I see this bracelet I think of her, I pray for her. That's another thing you do when you're over there. You pray. You have to have hope in a higher power."

"It sounds like quite the experience." Mark said. He tried to make the conversation lighter; he could see the worry in her eyes. "What about your boyfriend, O'Malley?" 

"You really won't let that go, will you? It was nothing, it was a crush."

"Uh, yeah," he scoffed, "You were obsessed with him."

"Yet another misguided attempt at feeling something. Daddy issues," she scrunched her nose up, "Remember?"

"So you two never-" she knew by the tone in his voice what he was hinting at, and Lexie sighed, bowing her head.

"We did," she winced, "Once." Mark burst into laughter, and she swatted his arm.

"Stop!" she pleaded, looking at him desperately.

"And I can take it by the look on your face it wasn't-"

"Not at all," she whispered, ashamed.

"He was terrible, wasn't he?"

"Very." Lexie sighed, biting her lip.

"And I take it he didn't take the news very well, did he?"

"Not at all. He was all like, "'Lexie, I don't know how I didn't notice after all this time but I think I'm in love with you!' and I had to break it to him, and pretty soon after, he left for Chile."

"I tried to warn you! That kid wasn't much of a man."

"And you're so much better?"

"Um, yes." he said, cocking an eyebrow. "Have you seen me?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I'm looking at you right now, and can I say, so far I'm not very impressed."

"Oh, _come on!_ " he exclaimed, "I'm hotter, I'm a better surgeon, I'm richer, I'm definitely a better kisser-"

"And you're sure about that?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Mm." She stood up, grabbing her purse.

"I didn't scare you off, now did I?"

"I'm going to fix my make up." she shook her head, making her way into the bathroom. She shut the large wood door, sighing.

Arrogant asshole.

Lexie pulled her lipstick out of her bag, which sat on the bathroom counter, applying the light pink gloss. All of a sudden, the door swung open and slammed shut, and who other than Mark Sloan stood in front of it, looking slightly rumpled and completely edible in his light blue dress shirt, sleeves rolled to just below his elbows.

" _No, Lexie!_ " she thought, biting her lip.

"You don't believe me." He said curtly, turning to lock the door and taking a few steps towards her.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"You asked me I was a better kisser. I said yes. You don't believe me."

Lexie raised her eyebrow, scoffing. He took a few more steps, and she backed up a few until she was pressed against the counter.

"Doctor Sloan-" She started, but he cut her off.

"Mark." Two more steps. "If you're gonna believe me, we're gonna have to be on a first name basis." He said quickly before stepping until she was flush in between him and the counter. Her lips crashed against his; taking him by surprise, yet her recoiled quickly, tongue entering her mouth to battle with hers. He lifted her up onto the counter, and her long, slender legs wrapped around his hips.

Lexie Grey was just as he remembered. Hot, witty, smart. But right now, she was someone he'd never known before. She wasn't the stuttering intern with the hair that wouldn't stay out of her face. She was primal, she was sexy, she was making business casual turn him on like nothing else ever had.

Her fingers tangled into his slightly graying hair as he kissed down her neck, fingers working with the small buttons of her white blouse. He revealed a lacy, pale pink bra, chuckling. Mark made his way back up her neck, right hand anchoring into her dark hair while the other rested on her hip. She pulled him towards her, nibbling gently on his bottom lip.

"Told you." he managed in between kisses as she hastily unbuttoned his shirt, hand exploring her chest while on stayed knotted in his hair. Her nails dug into his taut back muscles and he kissed her with more force, knowing he'd already proved his point.

All of a sudden, a high pitched ringing started, and he pulled back, breathing heavily and he looked down to check the pager clipped on his belt.

"It's not me," he said breathlessly, and she reached for her purse, pulling out the buzzing object.

"No, it's me." Right after another ring began, and mark knew it to be his.

. . .

 _ **A/N: So, it looks like I'm back. Review, PM, tell me if you love it or if you hate it. I love y'all. Tell me what you think.**_

 _ **-M**_


End file.
